Starkville man faces multiple surgeries after hunting accident

CHOCTAW COUNTY -- The Mississippi Department of Wildlife,
Fisheries and Parks is investigating a hunting accident involving
two Starkville city employees.

Jeff Lyles, city code officer, shot hunting partner, Ken
Honeycutt, city building inspector, in Choctaw County Monday
afternoon. WFP officials said Honeycutt was exiting the woods when
he was shot once in the pelvis.

Honeycutt, 38, was taken to OCH Regional Medical Center and has
had multiple surgeries. According to the Facebook page of his
girlfriend, Caryl Pritchard, Honeycutt is still on ventilation and
is sedated. Her latest post as of 8:30 a.m. today said: "probably 2
or 3 more (surgeries) to finish cleaning bone fragments from wound."

Jim Walker, public information director for WFP, said Lyles, 48,
likely shot at a silhouette he thought was a deer.

The investigation is ongoing, and Lyles could face criminal
charges

"It appears the rifle that Lyles used was not a legal weapon for
this current season -- was of a caliber that isn't legal for this
season," said Walker said.

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